Hiking on Vancouver Island

We both enjoy hikes of all sorts, and there is plenty of wonderful opportunities for hiking on Vancouver Island.

Marc’s favourite hike for years was Bald Mountain, home of the Sleepy Stone Giant, gorgeous views, and many chickadees and eagles. It is a rather steep hike but well worth the trip to Lake Cowichan.

Up near Nanaimo, we enjoy the Lantzville Foothills or Hemer Park with its maze of paths between a couple of lakes, and we have very fond memories of Roberts Memorial Park.

The Cowichan Valley Footpath is a gorgeous 20 km hike along an emerald crystal clear Cowichan River, where it is virtually impossible to resist jumping in for a swim before getting back to the car. We brought Kyle & Michelle along in the summer of ’09.

Victoria offers Mount Finlayson and the nearby Niagara Falls in Goldstream Park, Mount Doug, Mount Newton and many other local parks.

Vancouver’s Grouse Grind is a daunting challenge, but the reward is well worth the effort.

However, when we have visitors, Cathedral Grove and its thousand year-old magnificent trees is simply a must, just like Long Beach on the West Coast, spectacular in sun, rain, wind or fog, and gateway to the Vickers Eagle Aerie Gallery in Tofino.